Discardable cap construction



y 1961 E. J. DE VILLERS 2,990,552

DISCARDABLE CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed June 25, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDMUND J. DEVILLERS BY CORBETT, MAHONEY, MILLER 8 RAMBO, ATTY'S.

BYw ym y 4, 1961 E. J. DE VILLERS 2,990,552

DISCARDABLE CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed June 25, 19 8 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDMUND J. DEVILLERS CORBETT, MAHONEY, MILLER 8. RAMBO, ATTY'S.

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y 4, 1961 E. J. DE VILLERS 2,990,552

DISCARDABLE CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed June 25. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 IIC INVENTOR. EDMUND J. DEVILLERS BY CORBETT, MAHONEY, MILLER 8- RAMBO, ATTY'S.

United States Patent 2,990,552v DISCARDABLE CAP CONSTRUCTION Edmund J. De Villers, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Paperlynen Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 25, 1958, Ser. No. 744,394

I'Claim. (Cl. 2-195) This invention relates to a discardable cap construction. It has to do, more particularly, with a cap formed of lowcost flexible material, such as paper or the like, and capable of being manufactured by automatic machinery in order that the unit cost of such caps will be sufficiently low to admit of the complete discarding thereof when the same becomes soiled or otherwise impaired through use.

According to this invention, the cap is preferably made from paper but can be made from other flexible felted or Woven fiber material. The blank is of simple rectangular form and the cap may be formed therefrom by simple folding and joining operations which can be performed readily by automatic machinery.

The completed cap may be flatly folded for compactness in shipment and storage but when it is to be used it can be opened or expanded readily for application to the head of a wearer. When worn, it will present an attractive military appearance. One of the important features of the completed cap is its novel crown construction which is of a multifold structure that is positioned within the head band with the cap in folded condition but will expand automatically as needed when placed on the head of the wearer.

Examples of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that variations may be made within the scope of this invention.

In. these. drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a blank used in producing one form of cap according to this invention, the blank being of rectangular form and folded on itself once intermediate its. length.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the side edges of the blank stitched after the crown sections are folded and the reinforcing edge sections are folded.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse section taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the final folded cap with the brim formed.

FIGURE dis a transverse sectional view taken along line 6 6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective View of the expanded completegli cap with the crown expanded into substantially flat condition.

FIGURE 8 is a view of another differently folded blank used in producing a slightly modified form of cap embodying this invention.

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but showing the crown sections and reinforcing edge sections folded.

FIGURE 11 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 but showing the final folded cap.

FIGURE 13 is a, vertical sectional view taken along line 1313 of FIGURE 12.

The cap of this invention is preferably formed from a single rectangular blank of paper or other cheap flexible material. In FIGURE 1 of the drawings, this blank is designated 11 and is shown folded upwardly in halves on "ice itself at the medial creased hinge line 12, which is at the lower edge of the folded blank in FIGURE 2, to form the two duplicate side sections or panels 13 which are in flat contact with each other and are hinged together at the hinge line 12. On each panel 13, three vertically spaced crease or fold lines 14, 15, and 16 are provided and extend completely across the panel. The fold line 14 is provided on each side section to form between it and the hinge line 12 a crown-forming panel or half section 17 of the cap crown. Between the lines 14 and 15 an inner headband-forming panel or section 18 is provided and between the lines 15 and 16 a brim-forming panel or section 19 is provided. Between the line 16 and the uppermost edge of each panel 13 an arrow reinforcing lip section 20 is provided.

With the blank 11 as in FIGURES 1 and 2, the panels 13 are folded downwardly about the lines 14 so as to form the crown half-sections 17 and so that the hinge line 12 will be positioned inwardly between the opposed headband-forming sections 18, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Also, the two lip sections 20 are folded outwardly and upwardly in opposite directions about their respective fold lines 16 against the outer surfaces of the brim-forming sections 19.

With the blank folded as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4 the free end edgw of the panels 13 are now secured together such as by stitching along their entire vertical extent to provide the side seams 21, as indicated in FIG- URE 3.

The next and final folding operation is to fold the connected brim sections 19 outwardly and upwardly about the lines 15 so that they will be outside the inner band sections 18 and will be of substantially the same vertical extent with the lips 20 extending downwardly.

The completed cap is shown in FIGURE 7. It will include the outer continuous brim 19a, formed by the brim-forming sections 19, with their ends stitched together; the inturned continuous lip 20a which is formed by the lip sections 20 having their ends stitched together; the head-engaging continuous band 18a formed by the headband-forming sections 18 which have their ends stitched together and being substantially coextensive with the brim 19a; and the crown 17a formed by the two crown-forming panels 17 which have their ends stitched together and are connected together at their inner edges along the medial hinge line 12. The crown 17a is connected to the band 18a along the lines 14.

Ordinarily, the cap will be folded flat as indicated in FIGURE 6. When it is to be placed on the head, it will be expanded. *As indicated in FIGURE 7, when expanded, so that'the band 18a will fit around the head,

the crown 1712 will automatically expand as the half- 14 and the sections also hinge relatively at the hinge line 12. The crown 17a will expand until it is flat and level with the crease line 12 at the same level as the fold lines 14. At this time, there will still be valleys 17b at each end of the crown.

Thus, the cap in folded form, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, comprises outer upstanding brim-forming sections 19 stitched together at their adjacent ends by stitching 21, depending reinforcing lips 20 connected along creased lines 16 to the upper edges of the brim sections and extending along the inner surfaces of the corresponding brim sections with their corresponding ends stitched together and to the adjacent ends of the brim sections 19, headband-forming panels 18 within the corresponding brim sections 19 and being substantially co-extensive therewith, having their lower edges joined to the correspond ing lower edges of the brim sections along the lower creased lines 15 and being stitched together at their adjacent ends, and a crown comprising the crown-forming 3. panels 17 in fiat contact between the headband-forming panels 18 joined together at their lower adjacent edges along the medial hinge line 12 and connected at their upper edges along the upper creased lines 14 to the adjacent upper edges of corresponding headband-forming panels 18, the ends of the crown-forming panels 17 of the crown being stitched together and to the corresponding ends of the head band forming sections 18.

When the folded cap is expanded and applied to the head, the continuous band 18a will engage the head, the continuous brim 1911 will stand up in slight angular relationship thereto being stiffened at its upper edge by the continuous lip 20a, and the crown 17a will flatten out so that the hinge line 12 will move upwardly, as indicated in FIGURE 7.

In FIGURE 8, there is illustrated a different blank 11c which is used in forming a slightly different cap, according to this invention, but which also has a multifold crown. In this instance, the blank 110 is folded at 12c so that the fold "line is at one end to produce the two duplicate side sections 130. The lower edges of the blank are first joined together by suitable means as by the stitching 210. As before, on each panel 130, three vertically spaced fold lines 140, 15c, and 16c are provided and extend completely across the panel, to form the crown-forming panels 17c of the crown, the intermediate headband-forming panels 180, and the brim-forming panels 190 with the narrow reinforcing lips 20 along their upper edges.

With the blank 110 as in FIGURES 8 and 9, the panels 130 are folded outwardly and downwardly along the upper crease lines 140 so that the seam 21c defines a medial hinge line between the crown half-sections 170 between the opposed headband-forming panels 180. Also, the two lip sections 20c are then folded outwardly and upwardly along the fold lines 160 against the outer surfaces of the brim-forming panels 190. Then, the opposite end edges of the blank are stitched together as indicated at 21a. The final folding operation brings the connected brim-forming panels 190 outwardly and upwardly about the lower creased lines 150 so that they will be outside the headband-forming panels 180 and will be of substantially the same vertical extent with the lips 20c extending downwardly.

The final folded cap in this form shown in FIGURES 12 and 13 will be substantially the same as that shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. It has a multifold crown which is disposed within the head band. When expanded and applied to the head, it will be substantially identical with the form of the hat shown in FIGURE 7.

It will be apparent that this invention provides a simple inexpensive cap which can be discarded economically after it has served its purpose. The cap is made from inexpensive flexible material. Since it can be produced by simple folding and joining operations, it can be adapted readily to production by automatic machinery. The cap ordinarily will be in flat condition to facilitate shipping-- and storing but can be expanded into a neat attractive cap when it is to be worn. When folded, it will include a multifold crown disposed within the head-engaging band but the multifolds of the crown can be expanded upwardly as necessary when the hat is positioned on the head.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is now considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

A disposable, military-style cap comprising a single rectangular blank of flexible sheet material folded to provide two duplicate side sections, each of said side sections consisting of an outer, vertically arranged, brim-forming panel, an inner headband-forming panel disposed in flat abutting, coextensive relation to and joined with the brimforming panel along a lower crease line which defines a lower edge of said cap, and a crown-forming panel joined with the headband-forming panel along an upper crease line which defines in part an upper edge of said cap, the brim-forming panel of each of said side sections being folded inwardly and downwardly upon itself along the upper edge of said cap and adjacent said upper crease line to provide on the upper portion of each brim-forming panel a continuous, downturned reinforcing lip; the outer brim-forming panels, inner headband-forming panels, the crown-forming panels and the reinforcing lips of both of said side sections being joined with one another at their respective ends, and the ends of the outer brimforming panels defining outer, vertical end edges for said cap; the crown-forming panels of said side sections also being joined with one another along a hinge line extending longitudinally and centrally of said cap and being foldable inwardly and downwardly in flat, abutting relation to one another; the headband-forming panels, crown-forming panels and reinforcing lips being arranged to lie in flat juxtaposed relation to one another and completely within the confines of said brim forming panels without bunching when said brim-forming panels are brought into flat parallel relationship, and said crown-forming panels being foldable upwardly when said brim-forming panels are moved relatively apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,461,189 Hennegan July 10, 1923 1,521,998 Crum Jan. 6, 1925 1,806,225 Vernon May 19, 1931 1,836,141 Wagenfeld Dec. 15, 1931 2,685,090 Wagenfeld Aug. 3, 1954 

